Atchison, Kan.— The University of Saint Mary opened their 2026 season in a five-set thriller Thursday evening, rallying to defeat the Benedictine College Ravens 25-12, 17-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-9 at Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. The Spires' squad erased a late fourth-set deficit and used six service aces to take control of the deciding set, beginning the season at a clean 1-0.

USM controlled the opening set. Emma Murphy came up big for the Spires, recording three early kills as they built an 8-1 lead, and a kill by newcomer Kayla Adeoye helped extend the advantage to 19-6. Makenza Holly combined on the block that secured the 25-12 win. Benedictine answered in the second set, although Kayla Adeoye cut a 14-10 deficit to one with a kill.

The Spires moved ahead 7-4 in the third set behind the powerful swing of MJ Stephens, but Benedictine recovered and built a five-point advantage late. A kill by Adeoye pulled Saint Mary within 22-21 before VanCleave closed Benedictine's 25-22 set win with a kill, putting the Spires just one set from defeat.

USM responded strong by building an 18-11 lead in the fourth, with Addison Baker contributing a kill during the surge. The Ravens then scored eight consecutive points to take a 19-18 advantage, but Emma Murphy again answered with a slam to tie the set. USM later faced match point at 24-22. Kayla Adeoye started the Spires four-point, set-saving finish with a kill, and Maddison Kruse completed the comeback with the winning point for a 26-24 decision.

Addison Baker opened the fifth set with a service ace, setting the tone for a decisive stretch from the line. Saint Mary produced six aces while racing to an 8-2 lead, with Kaylee Kindall contributing to the serving pressure alongside her presence at the net. The Spires finished with 13 aces overall and limited Benedictine to a .094 hitting percentage. USM also totaled 47 kills, 74 digs and 12 blocks.

MJ Stephens led the Spires with 11 kills and added two aces. Kayla Adeoye and Emma Murphy each recorded 10 kills, with Emma Murphy adding six blocks and Kayla Adeoye finishing with three. Addison Baker supplied 20 assists, four aces and 10 digs, while Kathryn VanSkiver added 16 assists. Dakotah Garcia led the back row with 18 digs, and Daniella Rivera-Perez contributed 15 digs and three aces. After Benedictine closed within range late in the fifth, Emma Murphy delivered the match-winning kill to seal the 15-9 victory to start Spire volleyball on a high note.

Coming Up…

USM will play again tomorrow afternoon to finish off the Benedictine College Quad. The Spires are set to face off against Crowleys Ridge College at 11:00 a.m. with a quick turnaround against Baker University at 1:00 p.m. Stream all matches live from Ralph Nolan on the Urban Edge Network.